sameer said:

This is a great place to learn.

I am new to photography and own a canon rebel xt with 18-55mm lens. I want to buy a good second lens which will replace my current lens.

my budget is approx $ 500. I could list down a couple of them – the tamron 28-300 VC lens and the Canon L series 70-300 without IS. My choice is tilted towards Tamron as it offers 11x zoom as well as VC capabilities. But I have read that L series lenses give u the best picture quality.

It would be great if you can guide me cause this is the most important purchase for me.

JohnPhilipGreen said:

Most photo stores should let you try out the lens in the store before you buy. Bring your body in and give it a go.

I’m a Nikon guy, so I’m afraid I can’t speak to the exact Canon models, but in general the Canon and Nikon lenses perform way better than similarly priced alternatives, regardless of spec. Canon and Nikon simply have more research dollars and have more patents which leads to better products.

Another alternative you might want to consider is a prime lens, instead of a zoom. I’ve started buying primes and will not likely go back. Their wider apertures give me way more options… low light without a flash, better action shots (faster shutter speed), better portraits (shallower depth of field). What kind of photography are you going to be doing? The only time, for me, when zooms make the most sense is for travel, when you don’t want to lug a huge camera bag.

Donna Brown said:

My profile photo was taken with a Nikon. Do you like it?

JohnPhilipGreen said:

The strong backlight unbalances the portrait, in my opinion. But the shot captured a thoughtful and caring expression, no doubt reflecting the real nature of the subject!

Peter Blomert said in response to:

I agree totally with John. Stick to CANON lenses and if transport is no problem: go for the primes.

Note: as the construction of a good zoom-lens is way more complicated, primes often are less expensive, you can get a very good prime lens for about 300 to 400 $, while a good zoom easily cost way over 1000 $!

Note 2: Photographing with primes leads to more thinking while photographing, you will choose your position, angle etc. deliberately as your lens forces you to do so. That is good training for your artistic skills – zooms are more comfortable, but they let the photographer get lazy – often that laziness affects negatively the quality of the pictures taken (I know what I speak about, most of my lenses are zooms ;-)).

lechuck said:

When working with a budget you often have to substitute a lower f-stop number for a broader lens range. For example, the top quality Canon 70-300mm lens would have a F-stop ratio of 2.8. Which allows you to have a low aperture of 2.8 when shooting at 70mm, and about 5.6 when zoomed to 300mm. That lets in a great amount of light considering the lens length. The minimum f/stop changes depending on your lens length.

If you want a 70-300mm lens for under $500 dollars you will have to go for a lens with a higher f/stop number. Probably a 4/5.6. Which means at 70mm the aperture will be 4 and at 300mm it will probably be around 8. It’s workable but you need a lot of light to penetrate the sensor. Normally you’d have to have a low shutter, high ISO, or be in a really bright situation. This lens is NOT good for night, or dark room settings. You’d need a shorter lens with a lower f/stop for that.

Depending on how much of a zoom you really want, a 28-135mm canon lens which offers a huuuuge variety of photos and a good aperture number (3.5). You can take great scenery photos at 28mm as well get a good depth of field effect at 135mm. 300mm is really telephoto. Expect to be standing 15-25 feet away (guesstimate).

Check out this site: Canon Reviews

It should help you out and give you an idea what lens is best suited for you and price range.

If you do go for a 70-300, I recommend maybe stepping down to a 70-200. I do highly recommend the 28-135. I think you’d find that lens the most versatile!

I do agree with John, prime lenses are the shizzle, haha! Only downside is they aren’t very versatile when it comes to “run and gun” photography.

lechuck said:

By the way:

The 28-135mm goes for about $400 The 70-200mm 5.6 goes for about $550 The 70-300mm 5.6 goes for about $550 The 70-200mm 2.8 goes for about $1200

All can be a bit less expensive used.

cheryl said:

I am in the same boat as sameer, but I have a Nikon D40 and I want to get another lens. The thing is though, I don’t know what type to get and I don’t have all the money in the world to spend.

Is the Nikon 55-200mm Nikkor Lens (AF-S DX) still a good lens? There’s also the same one with vibration reduction.

HELP! :-)

lechuck said:

What kind of subjects to you want to shoot cheryl? I don’t think you’re going to have trouble finding a good quality lens from Nikkor, you have to think about length really, prime or zoom, etc.

I would say the 55-200mm would be a great lens, but it is rather bulky and heavy.

Andrew Pilipczuk said:

Don’t forget to get the 1.8 50mm. For around $100, it is hard to beat it’s quality. Mine typically never leaves my XTi.

Scottbrooks said:

I have to agree with Andrew. If I was only going to have 2 lenses, it would be the standard zoom and the 1.8 50mm …. that lens is alot of fun. I have been using mine for a while and it is really a great lens.

lechuck said:

I can’t argue that point. The 50mm 1.8 is a pretty snazzy lens. At least the Nikon is moreso than the Canon. The Canon 1.8 50mm is a pretty poor build (the fantastic-plastic) and can be troublesome for focusing. But, a great lens, with great depth of field, or bokeh (for those who know what it means) and only $100 bucks.

severoon said:

I think the lenses you buy must be determined by the type of photography you’re most interested in. If you like landscapes, then you’ll want to buy a wide angle lens. If you like portraits, then a short telephoto with a large maximum aperture is where you want to be. Shooting skittish animals requires a long telephoto.

It sounds like you’re interested in flexibility and “street scene” photography for the most part, because you’re talking about replacing the 18-55, what I call the “walk-around” range. You might consider upgrading to the 18-55 IS and save some money if you like that range;I understand many of the image issues with the non-IS version have been worked out with this model, plus it includes image stabilization. The 70-300 (which is not an L, by the way) doesn’t really replace your 18-55…I’d recommend that you hang on to the 18-55 if you buy this lens.

It is true that L glass is the best, but I don’t recommend it for beginning photographers. It’s expensive, and heavy, and if you’re not going to adapt your shooting style to make the best use of this higher quality glass, then it’s a lot of wasted money. I think that you should learn how to shoot in a way where the equipment is the limiting factor before you upgrade;that’s the path to managing your budget effectively. :-)

I would also recommend staying away from the “all-in-one” lenses with high focal length ratios, such as the 11x lens you describe. Those lenses are not very good for learning photography and tend to encourage lazy framing and composition habits, which is fine if you’re experienced and know when you can get away with it. Also, these lenses typically have small apertures, particularly at the long end, meaning you can’t shoot in lower light situations without a tripod. Often, the best pictures are made in lower light, while the sun is setting or rising and the oblique angle of the light can be used to show the texture and quality of your subject. (All in one lenses are very limiting indoors as well for the same reason…even indoor areas that seem fairly bright are many stops dimmer than outside on a sunny day.)

In general, Canon tends to make lenses of higher quality than third-party manufacturers, but this is not true for every model, so I’d encourage you to research the specific lenses and read reviews on third-party models you’re considering (a great location for information is dpreview.com). You should always have at least one Canon lens, though (I recommend the cheapest one: 50mm f/1.8, a great lens for the money, particularly for beginning photographers). Should you have any problems with your camera and require service during the warranty period, Canon will only provide support if you can prove it’s an issue with the camera and not the lens. (Sometimes lenses can fritz out and send wrong information, causing the camera to behave strangely.)

lechuck said:

Here is a couple sample photos taken with the Canon 50mm f/1.8:

and

lechuck said:

These were taken with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8:

and

sameer said:

Hi Guys.. based on your advice, i recently purchased the f 1.8 50mm prime lens. Its a gem and is way better then my 18-55mm. love the DOB and low loght performance. I think i ll get my hands dirty with this one before i plan to buy a new one. thanks to all for the briliant guidence..

lechuck said:

Glad to help Sameer.

JohnPhilipGreen said in response to:

I have the same 50mm f/1.8, but for Nikon. It rarely comes off our camera. Good choice!

Andrew Pilipczuk said:

Sigma 10mm-20mm should be the third lens. ;) I was like a foot and a half away from my car when I took that picture, it is so wide! :)